HBO furls its London sales

Topper Wolf and team ankle

LONDON — HBO Films is shuttering its London foreign sales office, following the launch of its new U.S. distribution partnership with New Line.

HBO Films London topper Penny Wolf and her team will ankle the company, which is relocating foreign sales to New York and Los Angeles.

The closer cooperation of HBO and New Line through their Picturehouse joint venture had prompted speculation that the two Time Warner subsids would pool their foreign sales teams.

In a letter to overseas buyers, the company said, “With greater focus from HBO Films on producing theatrical films, we feel our new international theatrical distribution activities will be most effectively handled if headquartered out of Los Angeles and New York rather than London.”

The letter described the decision to shutter the London office, opened two and a half years ago, as “painful.” It paid tribute to the “fine and innovative work done by Penny and her team.”